Yalitza Aparicio visits Wellesley
On Tuesday Nov. 12, acclaimed actor Yalitza Aparicio, who ascended to fame after playing the lead in the film Roma, visited Wellesley. Professors Irene Mata (Women and Gender Studies), and Codruta Morari (Cinema and Media Studies) interviewed Aparicio, who spoke in Spanish with an English translator. The school also offered several screenings of Roma before the event. Aparicio spoke about her path to both acting and activism, as she is the recently appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples. Wellesley’s website explained part of her origin story. “Born in 1993 in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico, Ms. Aparicio, a primary school teacher, answered a call for Alfonso Cuarón’s highly stylized story of childhood, Roma. Since the day she was cast as a housekeeper in the role of Cleo, Ms. Aparicio has intentionally used her new platform to advocate for gender equality, indigenous rights, and labor rights for domestic workers.” Her visit was sponsored by the Newhouse Center for the Humanities.
Wellesley celebrates First Gen Day
On November 8th, Wellesley celebrated its students who are the first generation in their family to go to college. This was Wellesley’s third annual First Generation celebration day, and included special events, first-gen themed foods in the dining halls, and a First Gen STEM carnival to make STEM resources more accessible to first-gen students.
New Title IX Coordinator appointed
This week, Kate Upatham joined Wellesley’s staff as the new full-time director of nondiscrimination initiatives and Title IX coordinator/504 coordinator. According to an email from College president Paula Johnson, Upatham previously worked as a civil rights attorney in the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and has experience working as an independent investigator on Title IX and employment cases. She is replacing Jane Faulkner, who formerly served as the interim Title IX Coordinator, and is now returning to her private law according to Johnson. Wellesley’s Title IX policy covers instances of conflict between students that requires mediation, as well as instances of sexual assault among students, staff and faculty at this school.
